František Skála

František Skála jr (born 1956 in Prague) is a Czech sculptor, painter, children's book illustrator, musician, and dancer.

He studied woodcarving at Secondary Applied Arts School (SUPŠ) Prague, 1971–1975 and in 1982 graduated from the University of Applied Arts (VŠUP Prague) in film and television graphics.

He achieved his first major successes as an illustrator of children’s books, and won a series of awards in this field.

In 1995, he represented the Czech Republic with his illustrations at the Frankfurt International Book-Fair.

His comics serial “The Great Travels of Hair and Chin” was to have been made into a full feature animated film, and he worked on the project for several years although it was not in the end carried through.

Alongside illustration, from the beginning of the 1980s he began to make a name for himself as a sculptor and creator of remarkable objects and installations, and it was in this guise that he made the most lasting impression on the public. He presented his works at both solo exhibitions and at joint exhibitions with his contemporaries from the group TVRDOHLAVÍ [The Stubborn], 1987–1991, which brought a postmodern spirit to the arts scene of the time, and of which Skála was a founder member. He is also a real member of the secret organization B.K.S. (Bude konec světa – The End of the World is Coming),[1] and since 1985 commander of the Order of the Green Ladybird. The scope of his creative activities goes beyond fine art: He is a founding member of the music group Malý taneční orchestr Universal (the Small Dance Band) which performs popular music from the communist era of Czechoslovakia in a humorous fashion.[2] He plays and sings in the group Finský barok [Finnish Baroque]. He is a member of the Sklep theatre company[3] and the vocals trio TROS SKETOS.[4]

From 1992, he worked on design of the interiors of the performance areas of the Paláce Akropolis in Prague.[6]

In 1993, he was chosen to represent the Czech Republic at the 45th Venice Biennale. He made the journey to Italy on foot and then displayed drawings from his 850-km pilgrimage and fragile objects made of articles he had found on the way in the Czech Pavilion. He has been a guest artist at art universities in Australia and the USA.

In all the spheres of creative activity in which he is involved, his work is distinctive for his exceptional feeling for material, sense of humor and non-speculative, positive approach to creation.